Pennsylvania man faces federal child exploitation charges

Wednesday

Jun 11, 2014 at 5:00 PM

Staff reports

A Carlisle man faces charges after allegedly committing child exploitation offenses on the campus of the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle.

Zackary Adam Knight was charged in four separate counts in an indictment by a grand jury in Harrisburg, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Knight, 19, is charged with aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography, the release says. The charges stem from an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Homeland Security Investigations inter-agency child exploitation task force, with assistance from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division.

The indictment alleges the crimes were committed at the U.S. Army War College, the release says.

Knight was taken into custody by Homeland Security Investigations special agents May 9. At the time, he was a resident of a housing area at the War College, according to the news release.

After a detention hearing in Harrisburg, Chief U.S. Federal Magistrate Judge Martin C. Carlson ordered that Knight be detained pending further proceedings.

If convicted of all offenses, Knight faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and fines up to $1 million.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Clancy.